Round Six Feature Match: Gerard Fabiano vs. David Rood

John Stephens

Game One

David and Gerard both sit down at 5-0 and looking good for day two. David won the randomization thingy and decided to play.

Gerard took the mulligan to six while David laughed at him. “Those shady Canadian,” Gerard remarked.

David played Frogmite and the Leonin Scimitar while Gerard played a Pyrite Spellbomb and used it to draw another card. Gerard played his third land and appeared to have all of his colors on the table at that point.

A Needlebug joined David’s side of the table and together with the Frogmite went swinging into the red zone. Gerard’s life total fell to nine before he played Breath of Blood to kill both of David’s creatures.

David played Goblin Charbelcher and started using it to deal damage to Gerard. Gerard appeared nervous about his chances while the brutal artifact survived and he showed it by putting the trademark towel in his mouth.

White terrycloth hung from his mouth as he swung with his Tel-Jilad Archers and then muttered the word, “go.” He hadn’t missed a land drop in a very long time, with ten of them on the table now as compared to only six for David.

Gerard played an eleventh land but seemed to still have nothing to do. He finally settled on playing a Deconstruct on the Goblin Charbelcher. By this point though it mattered very little as David finished it off with Shrapnel Blast

David Rood 1 – Gerard Fabiano 0

Game Two

“It doesn’t look like your deck is all that good,” Gerard commented as the players shuffled up for game two.

“I have a lot of four casting cost artifacts,” David commented. “Want to see me play more of them?”

He also showed off a card to some people standing by; Spikeshot Goblin. “I haven’t drawn it all day, so I’m sure I will this game.”

Game two started off with a Talisman of Impulse from David, helping him to accelerate a Tel-Jilad Exile onto the table, followed by a Krark-Clan Grunt. Gerard played a Yotian Soldier onto his side of the table but made a mistake when he decided to use him to block a very large Tel-Jilad Exile.

“I’m so lucky,” he commented right afterwards though. Barter in Blood has come off the top of his deck for him, and both of David’s creatures had died to the powerful removal spell.

David turned his Stalking Stones into a creature but they died to a Viridian Shaman moments later. At that point David had complete control of the board and David scooped two turns later, with nothing on the table except two Vulshok Gauntlets and land.

David Rood 1 – Gerard Fabiano 1

Game Three

Both players decided to keep their opening hands and David led with a Leonin Scimitar. Gerard didn’t allow it to live even a moment as he turned it to dust before it could become a problem.

David didn’t seem too disappointed by the loss of the Scimitar, he simly replaced it with Frogmite and Needlebug. David added his own creatures to the table as well, Goblin War Wagon and Copperhoof Vorrac.

David left everything untapped, and when Gerard swung with his Copperhoof Vorrac, David activated Standing Stones, taking six off the power and toughness of the Vorrac. The 4/4 Vorrac still eliminated two of David’s creatures, leaving the Goblin War Wagon as the only creature on the table. Gerard remedied that with a Tel-Jilad Archer and then David played an Alpha Myr.

An attack from Stalking Stones followed by a Shrapnel Blast eliminated both of Gerard’s creatures, putting David back in control of the board. His control didn’t last long though, as Gerard first played Terror on David’s Tel-Jilad Exile and then used a Pyrite Spellbomb to kill his Alpha Myr.

Gerard then played a Myr Enforcer, and the 4/4 was the only body on the board. David did dig up the Goblin Charbelcher and get it into play, but getting the right number of cards to come up to kill the Myr Enforcer would be tough.

“I’ll do it to the Enforcer,” David announced as the Myr entered the red zone. He turned over an Elf and Gerard started to worry. It was followed with an Elf, and Gerard celebrated his victory.

Gerard turned over Betrayal of Flesh and extended his hand, he had won the match.

“Hopefully I’ll see you day two,” Gerard said.

“Yeah, hopefully,” David responded.

“Hey,” Gerard exclaimed. “Are you handicapped? The worst handicap is a bad attitude.”

After sharing his pearl of wisdom Gerard headed off to celebrate his victory with his friends.